Strangers on a Train
by Neellok
Summary: Haleah Potter wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, let alone kiss them, but Draco Malfoy made her want to break all the rules.


**Year One**

Haleah Potter stared at Platform 9 ¾ as parents bid their children goodbye. Sirius Black, her godfather, had dropped her off half an hour ago because her dad was too busy with an overseas assignment. He wouldn't be back for another week. Resentment bubbled to the surface at the reminder. Her dad had promised he would send her off on her first day of school.

"He's busy." She repeated the excuse she'd heard for the last few years. She wondered when she would believe it. Luna Lovegood's father was busy travelling and writing articles for _The_ _Quibbler_. Yet he still managed to spend time with his wife and daughter. Haleah was beginning to think that it was just an excuse so he wouldn't have to spend time with her.

She glanced away when more witches and wizards Apparated onto the platform. She was tired of seeing something that would never be hers. Haleah swung her legs to keep her mind busy. It was easier to fidget than think of things that only brought pain. She'd counted to ten when the door to her compartment opened.

Haleah blinked at the sudden intrusion. It made it more real somehow. She was really going to Hogwarts. He was a first year. No second year could be that short. His white blond hair fell around his pointy face. His gray eyes reminded her of Sirius. He was rather pretty for a boy.

"Do you mind if we share the compartment?" he asked politely.

Haleah almost said yes. She had enjoyed the silence, but she didn't want to be cruel. She hated it when Sirius played pranks. She would not be like her godfather. Haleah shook her head when she realized he was still waiting for a response.

"Good." He carefully put his monogrammed trunk on the opposite rack from where she had placed hers and sat down. "I normally dislike sitting with other people. But you seem like a decent sort."

Haleah wondered what he meant by _decent_. He was a pureblood. She could tell by the way he spoke and walked. Haleah almost said something biting. She wasn't in the mood for a pureblood to stick his nose in the air and declare how important his family was. If Haleah had her way, no one would know her last name. Lily and James Potter's daughter. Why couldn't she just be Haleah?

"You don't talk much, do you?" he continued when she remained silent.

"I'm not supposed to speak to strangers," Haleah said, just to rattle him a little. She wanted to see his reaction. Would he get upset or roll his eyes?

He smiled a charming grin. "Draco."

Haleah wondered if he didn't say his last name on purpose. Judging by his defiant expression, he had. That was okay, though. She didn't want to know it. Grasping his outstretched hand she replied, "Haleah."

**Year Two**

Haleah sat in the same compartment, hoping that Draco would show up again. Maybe it was stupid to pin her hopes on the boy she'd met on her first train ride, but she couldn't stop the pounding of her heart. They hadn't talked much last year. Though she supposed it was to be expected—they were in rival houses. Haleah still didn't like to think about the Sorting. It brought back too many memories and the pressure of her last name.

Haleah had spent most of first year dodging comments about how intelligent she was because of her mother, or how natural she was on a Quidditch broom. No, she didn't want to become the youngest Seeker of the century. Professor Snape expected her to bully others and pull pranks, while Professor McGonagall wanted her excel in every class.

The door slamming open caused her heart to leap into her throat. It wasn't him. The witch had sleek black hair and an upturned nose that spoke of inbreeding. "An empty compartment. Excellent."

Haleah frowned. It wasn't empty and she'd been here first. "It's taken," she said coldly. She would not let someone take this place from her. Not until she was sure Draco wasn't going to show up. She needed to stay just a little longer.

"You're mistaken. It's mine."

"And you're under the impression that I care about your opinion. I was here first. It's mine. Find another seat." Haleah fingered her wand. If the witch attacked, she would retaliate. Haleah wouldn't attack first, though.

"I believe that she asked you to leave," Draco said, arriving with an irritated expression. "I suggest you follow her request." His wand was pointed directly at the witch, hand steady.

Draco came!

Haleah's gaze locked on Draco and didn't look away, though she knew it was foolish to take her eyes off an opponent. A small part of her trusted that Draco would hex the witch before anything could harm her. When had that happened? She resisted the urge to nibble her lip in discomfort. She wouldn't give the witch ammo against her.

The witch's eyes dropped to the ground and she curtsied. "Heir Malfoy." She shot Haleah a sharp glance. "I didn't know you associated with those beneath your station."

Draco's lip curled at the insult. "I'm conversing with you, am I not?"

Haleah covered her mouth to catch the chuckle that wanted to escape. It was cruel, true, but it made her happy that someone defended her. Haleah could hear her dad reminding her that Lily always defend herself. Haleah would never be Lily.

The witch flinched. "Heir Malfoy." She didn't wait for an acknowledgement. She left as soon as the required words left her mouth.

Haleah eyed Draco when he stepped into the compartment. Should she thank him? Or would he brush it off?

"Your spellwork is flawless. I saw no point in you wasting it on her," he replied once he was situated in his normal spot. He sat on the bench seat as if he were in a high-backed chair. Draco was always so graceful. If it had been her dad or godfather they would have lounged or flopped down.

Haleah gave him a small smile. "My wand appreciates the compliment."

He cocked a blond eyebrow. "But not the wielder?"

She huffed in amusement. He was quick. "She does as well." It felt weird talking this much. She was normally silent at home because she was used to being alone. Haleah liked Draco's voice.

Draco looked both ways, as if making sure no one was listening, and leaned forward. "I've been told that talking about oneself in the third person is the first sign of insanity," he confided, as if it were a great secret.

Haleah laughed. It sounded like something Remus would say when Sirius was in one of his moods. "I've been told that we are all insane; it just depends on when you realize it."

**Year Three**

Haleah wiped the tears away. She was still angry at Remus and her dad. Her dad could have rejected the mission. Remus told her last night that they'd asked for volunteers. Was it really so terrible at home that he had to leave for weeks at a time?

Remus and Sirius offered to take her to the platform; she said no and took the Floo instead. She didn't want to look at them. Haleah checked her reflection in her pocket mirror and smiled. It looked fake, but it would have to do.

"Your family wasn't present today."

Haleah nodded. "Things can become busy this time of year." She didn't know why she was making excuses. Her dad rejoined the Aurors after her mother died seven years ago. He was hardly ever home. It shouldn't have been very difficult to get time off work for a few hours. Apparently, it was impossible.

"Nor last year."

Haleah's fingers fisted her dress robes. She stared at the patterned weave of the cushions. The reds swirled together in an almost nauseating contrast. How had she never noticed? It reminded her of the eye-watering red in Gryffindor Tower.

"Wait until my father hears of this," he snarled. He muttered a few words that would have gotten her sent to her room. When he noticed her bafflement, he clarified, "He's Head Auror."

Haleah bit the inside of her cheek. Draco was willing to use his family name so her dad would be able to drop her off for school. It was the first time either of them had brought up their name and the power that each of them held. Haleah wondered what it meant.

"No need," she replied, touched that he was willing to step in for her. Other than Remus or Sirius, no one had in the past. "If it were important enough, he would be here." She lied with a smile.

"As you wish." Draco waited the appropriate amount of time, for courtesy's sake, and then said, "Of course, no loving and worthy father would ever forget his daughter."

A sad smile spread across her face. "Exactly." Haleah loved her dad. She hated him just as much.

"I'm sure that my mother would enjoy meeting a distant relative," Draco said slowly, as if gauging her reaction. His eyes never strayed from hers. He remained still as he waited for her reply.

Haleah had known about the connection, but she never would have brought it up. It would have been presumptuous. Did she want to meet Narcissa Malfoy—the Marble Witch? Haleah watched his gray eyes sparkle with hope. Haleah could not imagine someone as cold as Narcissa raising her son. She had also been taught that all Slytherins were evil, slimy Death Eaters.

The voice that warned her to stay away sounded too much like her dad. She silenced it without a second thought. "That would be agreeable."

**Year Four**

"I was recently introduced to the Weasley family." Haleah grinned at Draco's revolted expression. She had nothing against Molly or Arthur Weasley. Fred and George Weasley were also acceptable company at times, though she loathed how well they got along with the Marauders. She'd tried too hard to break away from her parents' image; she didn't want to be dragged into it at Hogwarts.

"How did it go?" Draco asked, though she could tell he wanted to change the subject completely. He probably asked because it was one of the few times she started talking first.

"Terrible," she admitted. "I never realized how …" She searched for the word she wanted to use. She finally settled on, "Crass someone could be."

Draco snorted. "I would be impolite to blame it solely upon their parents."

Draco gestured when he talked. Haleah smiled when she caught that small quirk, surprised that she hadn't noticed before. Hermione Granger gestured all the time when she talked. Granger's hands wouldn't stay still. Haleah didn't know how to describe Draco's movements. She wanted to watch him talk and never stop.

Haleah leaned against the bench and let his voice roll over her. It had deepened slightly, though it still fluctuated at odd moments. His hair was shoulder length and slicked back, so it wouldn't fall in his eyes. He had a Seeker's physique due to Quidditch practice. She would occasionally watch him from the stands.

"If you find me in the company of Ron Weasley …"

"Shall I offer my assistance? And by 'assistance,' I mean my fabulous wit and charm?" Draco asked with a smile of anticipation. He waggled his eyebrows dramatically.

Haleah laughed at her best friend. He had told her in the past about the blood feud between the Malfoy and Weasley families. She had never understood what Draco had been talking about until three weeks ago. Ron always said the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. Haleah would have thought he was cursed if he hadn't been so bullheaded. Haleah had gotten tired of talking to him in five minutes.

"You must admit that I am the epitome of charming."

Her smile widened. He always teased her. It wasn't annoying like her dad or Sirius. He only wanted to make her happy. "A lady must admit nothing."

"Touché. Your mother taught you well."

Haleah frowned. Her mum hadn't taught her that. Narcissa had.

**Year Five**

"Mother and Father wanted to know if you planned on returning to Potter Manor at the end of the year, or if you'd prefer to come home with us," Draco added at the end of his monologue about everything he wanted to do during the summer.

Home. Draco called Malfoy Manor her _home_. She wanted it to be home. Haleah treasured how loving Narcissa was toward her. Lucius even set aside time every week to spend an afternoon with her and catch up—something that her dad never did.

Yet, always, the best part of visiting Malfoy Manor was Draco.

"Home." Haleah fell in love with Draco's smile. Her entire world shrunk until he was the center of it. She flushed and glanced away, embarrassed that she'd been affected by her best friend. It was Draco! Her world view had shifted for the second time since she started Hogwarts. Draco was always at the center of everything she did.

"Great! I'll send a missive to Mother and Father tonight," Draco exclaimed.

It had been years since she felt like she belonged. Potter Manor hadn't been home since she was eleven, though she tried to pretend it was. Her dad packed away all of her mum's things. The empty rooms where there used to be laughter became suffocating. Every room held the Boggart of Lily Potter.

It's not like her dad would notice her absence anyway. He was never around.

"Thank you." Haleah didn't know what she was thanking him for. There were too many things for those two words to encompass them all. She latched onto Draco's hand and squeezed it. He didn't protest her strong grip. He held her hand just as tightly.

A weight sloughed off her shoulders. The tension she'd been carrying around for months disappeared. She had known that the Malfoys were fond of her, but Haleah had never noticed the extent of their affection. Haleah had someone to love her.

**Year Six**

Haleah had two years to find a worthy wizard to Bond with. If she failed, her dad would choose someone for her. The thought rankled. She glanced at Draco. He was her best friend. She'd fallen in love with him last year. Haleah wished society would allow her to offer him a Bonding Contract.

"—and then we can go to Honeydukes."

"Impossible, I'm afraid." She mentally cursed how stiff she sounded. How was she supposed to convey her feelings when she hid behind polite words? "I'm not permitted to accompany a wizard anywhere unless it is on an official Marriage Date."

Her dad had set the rule a week ago. He had heard about how close she'd grown with the Malfoy family and he wasn't pleased. Why did he care? He hadn't cared what she did in the past. Haleah wanted to disobey his order. However, she wouldn't risk it. If Draco sent a Bonding Contract, Haleah didn't want her dad to reject it out of spite.

"Your father?" A statement more than a question. He clucked his tongue in displeasure. He'd grown from the angry boy that snarled and snapped about informing his father. Draco was a man now. He was able to defend more than himself. "He _loves _making things difficult."

Haleah agreed. She hadn't had much contact with him the last few years. She spent most of her time at Malfoy Manor. Hadn't Sirius done the same thing with his family? She would have moved into Malfoy Manor if it would have been proper. Narcissa had been the first to extend the invitation.

"Why?"

There wasn't a rule against voicing the Potter family tradition. "I have two years to find a husband."

Draco's gray eyes narrowed as he read between the lines in that short sentence. "Or your father chooses for you." He folded his arms across his chest, drawing her attention to his muscular build. She watched his arms ripple with suppressed power. She knew he was quick in a duel and on a broom. "Who does he have in mind?"

_Who do I need to kill?_ She translated. "Unknown."

"Do you know who you want to find?" Draco's hair fell forward from behind his ears. She tucked it behind before she thought about the repercussions. His gray eyes dilated at her sudden proximity. Haleah sucked in a sharp breath.

"Maybe," she whispered, unwilling to break the tension. Draco snagged her hand before it fell into her lap. She shuddered at the heat of his fingers wrapped around hers.

"Only maybe? Are you sure you need more time to think about it?" he demanded. "It feels to me like you've already made your decision."

She had. Draco was the only wizard with whom she would ever consider Bonding. Everyone else would be inferior. She leaned her head against his shoulder for a few seconds. He'd snuck into her heart and ruined her. "***," she muttered.

**Year Seven**

"Your father accepted."

Haleah felt a small ball of grief and guilt gnaw at her conscience. She wanted to lie. She didn't want Draco to lose the bright smile. She wanted to treasure it forever. "He didn't know." She took another deep breath and squared her shoulders. She looked him straight in the eye and confessed, "I intercepted your owl earlier that day and hid it among his paperwork." She bit her trembling lip as tears fell down her cheeks. "He signed his name without even reading it."

She'd hoped that would be the case. Haleah loved Draco, and the thought of her father rejecting his offer had been unbearable. But it hurt. It _hurt_ that James had not even noticed the Malfoy family magic surrounding the document. James had been so wrapped up in reports and other paperwork that required his signature that it had become rote. He'd signed away her future as easily as he signed requisitions.

Draco wiped away her tears and hugged her. He could hug her now that they were promised to each other. His secure arms around her meant safety and love. It didn't matter what her dad did anymore. She had Draco and Lucius and Narcissa. Everything would be okay.

"You're mine now, Haleah. You're mine and I'm never going to let you go," Draco vowed into her hair.

She clutched him tightly and allowed the words to wash away her fears and anxieties. "Malfoy." Haleah smiled as she spoke his family name for the first time. "I won't be a Potter anymore."

Draco's embrace tightened. "You haven't been a Potter in a very long time."

It was true. Haleah had been captured by Draco the moment he asked to share her compartment. Her heart soared at the love shining in his eyes. Haleah smiled softly and placed a finger against his approaching lips as she thought about their first meeting. "I'm not supposed to kiss strangers."

Draco placed her hand upon his chest and whispered against her lips. "It's a good thing I'm not a stranger, then."


End file.
